Slack-adjuster.



PATBNTED 00T. s, 1907.

W. H. SAUVAGE. I SLAGK ADJUSTER. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 1, 190e. RBNBWED JUNE z1, 1707.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NCQ

PATENTED 00T. 8, 1907.

W. H. SAUVAGE. SLACK ADJUSTER..

' APPLICATION FILED SERT. 1, 1908. vRENBWIJD JUNE 21, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY SAUVAGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ATLAS SLACK ADJ USTER GOMPAN Y, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., Av CORPORATION OF EVVA YORK.

SLACK-ADJ'U STER.

ratentea'oet. s, 1907.

Application filed September 1, 1906, Serial No. 832.890. Renewed June 21,1907. Serial No. 380,089.

prises improved apparatus for automatically taking up the slack in power operated brakes so that the amount of piston travel in the power cylinder will remain substantially constant as the brake shoes wear down or other parts o the brake rigging yield. 4

More specifically my invention in many of its de tails comprises an improvement upon the construction illustrated and described in my previous applica-v tion, Serial No. 298,191, filed January 27, 1906, allowed May 19, 1906. I

The best form of apparatus embodying my invention at present known to me is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which:

Figure 1is a side elevation' of portions of a car truck with my invention attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the take-up and holding mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the clutch dogs.

Throughout the drawings, like reference figures ini dicate like parts.

1 is a block attached to a draft timber 2, or other convenient part of the car body. I

3 is a bolster upon which the car body rests, and 4 a truck bolster connected to it by a king pin and center plate 5.

6, 6, represent car wheels, and 7, 7, brake shoes applied thereto. These brake shoes are carried by brake beams 8, 8. The .usual live lever 9 and dead lever 10 are pivoted to the brake beams, and have their lower ends connected by the bottom rod 11. The top rod 12 is connected to the upper end of v the live lever in the manner now in use in standard brake rigging. l

13 is a bolt having 'preferably a square head 14, beveled off at one side 37, which bolt is used to fasten the main frame 20 to the block 1, as shown in Fig. 2. This main frame is preferably formed of a strip of iron or steel, having short bent-up ends 21, 21, through which are punched or bored holes 23, 23. A second shorter flame 17, I call the take-up frame. lts bent-up ends dog 26 hasl its longer end 18 inmost, and bearing against the head 14 of the bolt 13, while the take-up clutch dog 31 has its shorter end 19 inmost so as to permit it to fit into the take-up frame 17. Each of these dogs has a hole 28 punched or bored in it, as shown in Fig. 4, which is about 1/32 of an inch larger in diameter than the take-up rod 24. l

29-is a short'spiral spring, preferably mounted on the takeup rod and compressed between the holding clutch dog 26 and one end 21, of the main frame. 33 is ay similar spring also preferably mounted on the take-up rod and compressed between the take-up clutch dog 31 and one end 15, of the takeup frame.

27 is a reach rod having one end 32 bent at right angles and inserted between one end of the take-up frame 17 and the inner end of the take-up dog r31, while its other end 30 loosely encircles the top rod 12 at a xed distance from the point of connection to `the live lever, or from-the shoulder of the fork 35 v on the end of the top'rod, when the brakes are released.

take-up rod and arranged with one end against the 7 5 36 is a strong spiral spring, preferably encircling the end of the holding frame and the other against the take-up frame normally forcing the latter up against the bolt head 14, or some other suitable fixed stop.

.The take-up rod 24 has a loop or eye 22 formed in one end with which the clevis 25, pivoted to the upper 'end ofthe dead lever, is connected. The other end ofthe take-up rod has a cotter pin 34,.or other suitable stop to prevent its being pulled through the holding frame.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The parts being assembled, as shown in Fig. l, 2 and 3,- of the drawings, it is evident that any application of the. brakes which causes the live lever 9 to'travel to the left (looking at Fig. 1) a distance greater than the space between the looped end of the reach rod 27, and I is terminated by the bolt head v14. During this return travel, the take-up dog 31 bearing against the bent end 32 of the reach rod as a fulcrum and controlled by the 100 spring 33, will clutch the take-up rod 24 and pull the same to the right a distance equal to the 4extent of movement of the take-up frame. The take-up rod will be held in this adjusted position at subsequent appli cations of the brake-by means of the holding dog 26,

which permits motion of the take-up rod toward the right, but prevents motion toward the left.

Among the advantages of my invention may be mentioned the cheapness and ease of manufacture, all the parte being made out of bar iron or steel which can'be 110 movement of the same through them.

purchased in the market, no patterns or castings being required; and the interchangeability of parts, the two dogs being duplicates and the two springs controlling them being also interchangeable. An important feature of advantage is the construction by which the entire pull of the take-up rod when the brakes are applied is transmitted directly through the clutch dog 26 to the bolt i3, which is the means of attaching the Whole apparatus to the car body. No strain oi any consequence is transmitted through any of the other parts oi the apparatus. The action of the clutch dogs upon the takeaip rod is not affected by ice or rust or dirt, the clutches automatically cleaning the rod during the The operative connection by means of the bent end 32 of the reach rod 27 serves as a safety device in case of excessive movement of the live lever. In such case the takeup spring 36 might be compressed to a point beyond which it would not yield further and something must give Way. The light reach rod will bend under such circumstances and its end 32 will be pulled out of engagement with the take-up frame or the loop upon its other end will open and no damage will be done to the other and more costly parts oi' the apparatus. Repairs can be made by simply bending the reach rod back into shape and replacing it. `They take-up spring 3G pressing against the take-np frame on a line at one side of the line oi resistance of the bolt head 14, which bears on the other side of the frame, tends to cant said frame and cause it to exert wedging action on the takeup rod 24, preventing the saine from jarring or creeping toward the right under the jolting action of the car. One face of the bolt head being beveled off, as shown at 37 in Fig. 2, tends to increase this Wedging action. order to let out the apparatus, it is only necessary to pull the two clutch dogs toward the right, when the take-up rod can be easily shoved through the frame toward the left.

Itis evident that various changes could be made in the details of construction illustrated and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention so long as the general principle of construction and operation above described is preserved.

The bolt 13 serving as the sole means of attachment of the holding frame 20 to the car body or other support, it is evident that the Whole apparatus may swivel slightly about said bolt in order to permit it to accommo- 'date itself to any irregularities of movement of the dead lever 10, and still cause the pull of said dead lever to be transmitted in line with the take-up rod 24,

Having, therefore, described my invention, I claim:

1. A take-up and holding mechanism for automatic slack adjusters comprising in combination, a holding frame, a fulcrum projection rigidly located with reference to said frame, a take-up frame movable within said holding frame. a rod passing through both said frames, a take-up clutch dog mounted on said rod within the take-up frame, a holding clutch dog mounted onsaid rod and having one cnd pressing against the fulcrum projection and a spring normally tending to hold the take-up frame at a fixed position in the holding frame.

2. A take-up and holding mechanism for automatic slack ndjusters comprising in combination, a holding frame, a fulcrnm projection rigidly located with reference to said frame and forming part of the means for attaching the holding frame to its support, a take-up frame movable Within said holding frame, a rod passing through both Inl said frames, a takcalp clutch dog mounted on said rod within the take-up frame. a holding clutch dog mounted on said rod :1nd having one end pressing against the fulcrum projection und a spring normally tending to hold the i'aiteaip frame :1i n fixed position in the holding frame.

i ii. A tal e-np and holdingr mechanism for automatic slack :idjusters comprising in combination, a holdingl frame, a t'ulcrum projection rigidly located with reference to said frame und forming part of the means for attaching the, holding frame to its support, a take-up frame movable within said holding frame, n rod passing through bolli said frames` a takc-up clutch dog mounted on said rod within the take-up frame. u holding clutch dog mounted on said rod and having one end pressing against lhe fulcrum projection and :l spring normally tending io hold thc taire-up frame at a fixed position in the holding frame pressed against, the other side of the fulcrum projection for the holding dog.

l. A take-up and holding mechanism for automatic slack udjusters comprisingI in combination. a holding frame composed of a body portion with two ends bent up and perforated. a holt passing through said body portion near one end and having,r its head on the inside of the frame, a take-up frame movable within said holdingr fi'amc und hav ing perforations in line with those in the cutis of the hold ing trame. a rod passing through all of said perforulions. a take-up clutch dog mounted on said rod within the takeup frame. a holding clutch dog mounted on said rod and having one end pressing against the above described boli head und a spring mounted on the rod willi one end against the end of the holding frame and normally forcing the take-up frame against the other' side of the bolt head.

5. A take-up and holding mechanism for automatic slack adjusters comprising in combination, a holding frame composed of a body portion with two ends bent up and perforated, u holt passing through said body portion near one end and having its-head on the inside of the frame, a take-up frame movable within said holding frame and having perforations in line with those in the ends of the holding frame, a rod passing through all `of said pcrforations. a take-up clutch dog mounted on said rod within the take-up frame, a holding clutch dog mounted on said rod and having one end pressing against the ahove described belt head and a spring mounted on the rod with one end against the end of the holding frame and normally forcing the take-up frame against the other side of the bolt hond, together with two other springs mounted on the rod :ind tending to force the clutch dogs into action.

(i. The combination in a friction clutch of u frame com posed of a middle portion and two bent end portions provided with perforations in line one with another, a rod passing through said perforntions, a loose clutch dog huv ingl a perforation through which the rodnlso posses, :l fulcrum projection rigidly located with reference to the frame and against which one end of the dog beurs, :ind a spiral spring surrounding the rod, and compressed between one bent end portion of the frame, and the sidc of the dog opposite to the fuicrum.

7. 'iile combination in a friction clutch of u frame composed of a middle portion und two bent end portions pro vided with perfor-ations in line one with another, a rod passing through said perforatlons, a loose clutch dog hav ing a perforation through which the rod also passes. a fulcrunl projection rigidly located with reference to the frame und against which one end of the dog bears, und :l

spiral spring.surrounding the rod, and compressed between one bent end portion of the frame, and the side of the dog opposite to the fulcrum, together with u tulteup frame composed or a shorter middle portion and two heilt end portions provided with perforations through which thc rod also passes, a second loose clutch dog within said takcaip frame and having a perforation through which the rod passes, a spring confined between said second clutch dog and one end of the take-up frame, and yielding means for holding the take-up frame against ille before mentioned fulcrum projection.

48. A take-up and holding mechanism for automatic slack adjusters comprising in combination, u holding frame having bent up perforated end portions, :i shorter take-up trame within the holding frame having bent up 9. In a take-up and holding device for automatic slack adjustcrs, the combination of a take-up rod, a perforated clutch dog through which the rod passes, mechanism affording a fulcrum for one end of said dog, and a spring normally holding said dog in clutching position.

l0. In an automatic slack adjuster for railway brakes, the combination with a take-up rod and holding device therefor, of a take-up frame, a perforated friction dog mounted on said rod in said take-up frame, and a reach rod for moving said takeup fra-me, the bent end of the reach rod passing through the take-up frame and serving as a fulcrum for the clutch dog.

11. In an automatic slackadjuster for railway brakes the combination with the standard brake rigging comprising n live lever, a dead lever, and top rod connected to said live lever, of a take-up rod connected to the dead lever, a holding devicetherefor', a take-up device, und a reach rod connected at one end to the takemp device and having its other en d loosely-encircling the top rod.

12.'A take-up and holding' mechanism for automatic slack adjusters, comprising in combination a holding frame, a take-up rod sliding in said frame, 'a gripping mechanism for holding said rod in different positions of adjustment, and means for holding said gripping mechanism in the holding frame which also serve to fasten the holding,r frame to its support.

13. A takenp and holding mechanism for automatic slack adjusters, comprising in combination a holding frame, a take-up rod slidingin said frame, a gripping mechanism for holding said rod in different positions of adjustment and a device for holding said gripping mechanism in the holding frame which said means constitute the sole means for connecting the holding frame to its support.

14. A takeup and holding mechanism for automatic brake slack adjusters which comprises in combination a holding frame, a take-up rod sliding in said holdingframe, a perforated friction clutch dog mounted on said rod, and a bolt passing through said frame and adapted to serve as its means of attachment to its support, the head of said holt also serving as a fulcrum for the clutch dog.

1,5. A take-up und holding mechanism for automatic brake slack adjuster-s which comprises in combination a holding frame, a take-up rod sliding'in said holding frame, a perforated friction clutch dog mounted on said rod, and a swiveling bolt passing through said frame and adapted to serve as its sole means of attachment to its support, the head of said bolt also serving as a fulcrum for the clutch dog.

16. In a take-up. and holding device for automatic slack adjusters, the combination of a take-up rod, a perforated clutch dog through which the'rod passes, mechanism aifording a fulcrum for one end of the dog, and means for normally holding said dog in clutching position.

Signed at New York, N. Y'. this 31st day of August, 1906.

WILLIAM HENRY SAUVAGE.

.Witnesses:

E. L. MACOUBRAY, M. G. CRAWFORD. 

